Building Our Economy: Transportation for a New Illinois (2010)

“Building Our Economy: Transportation for a New Illinois ” was produced by Chicago Metropolis 2020, a non-profit organization created by the Commercial Club of Chicago.

“The foundation for this document was set in the Commercial Club of Chicago report that created Chicago Metropolis 2020, which stated that ‘if we do the right things now’ then we can build ‘one of the ten or fifteenth great metropolitan centers of the new world economic order that is emerging.’ More than a decade later, it is clear that ‘the right thing now’ is to build Illinois’ new economy on a transportation framework of pragmatic policies, integrated plans, coordinated governance, and rational financing.

This report begins with a sketch of the emerging sectors of a new Illinois economy, indicating how these opportunities are dependent upon a complex set of transportation decisions and assets. The report then specifies what needs to be done to capture those employment, profit and growth opportunities. And it concludes with a frank discussion of how to pay for transportation and adjust to a carbon-constrained environment.”

To request a pdf version of “Building Our Economy: Transportation for a New Illinois,” please send an email to Edward Bury at: ebury@uic.edu.